Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis: Odds, Prediction & Records

For those boxing fans who have been waiting to see just how good Jaron “Boots” Ennis is, they might get their chance on Saturday when he steps into the ring vs. the undefeated Eimantas Stanionis for the unified welterweight championship. It’ll go a long way to telling us whether Ennis’ hype for the past several years matches the reality. Here’s everything you need to know about Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis, including the odds, their records and a prediction on who will win.

Ennis has been gunning for an A-level opponent for the past few years, but he got shut down last November and was forced by a sanctioning body to fight Karen Chukhadzhian, who Ennis had already dominated nearly two years earlier. Though Ennis’ promoter tried to avoid fighting Chukhadzhian, who was the sanctioning body’s mandatory opponent, by offering deals to the other 147-pound titlists (Stanionis, Mario Barrios and Brian Norman Jr.), no deal was struck with any of them.

Now that Ennis has beaten Chukhadzhian a second time, he can focus on Stanionis and a title unification.

“I’m here to collect all the belts, and I’m locked in on Stanionis,” Ennis said. “ …. It’s a big fight for him and I’m glad he’s taken the fight and given the fans what they want. I’m No. 1 in the division; he’s No. 2. I’m dialed in, I’m so focused on this.

“The Chukhadzhian fight was hard because I’ve already beaten the guy 12-0, and we were forced into fighting him to keep the IBF belt. At the end of the day, you have to do what you have to do. I took care of the mandatory, and I’m glad I had the fight with him. It’s made me be a lot smarter in this camp and I’m just ready and I’m so excited for this fight. I will show out for sure.”

Stanionis also has been waiting for the chance to show his talents against a big-name opponent. But he’s been inactive for much of the last three years. A fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr., fell through because of Stanionis’ health problems, and he had two other fights canceled soon before he was set to step in the ring. Stanionis has been hungering for this moment.

“Ennis is slick, explosive, and they say he’s the future of the division,” Stanionis said. “That’s why I signed the contract. I don’t duck anyone—I run toward the fire. This isn’t going to be a chess match. This is going to be a war. I’m stepping into that ring to test him, break him, and beat him. Let’s see how he handles real pressure. Beating Boots changes everything for me.”

Here’s more info on the Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis showdown that U.S. viewers can watch on DAZN beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis odds

Ennis is the betting favorite, but it’s the narrowest money line he’s ever had going into a fight. Ennis is a -450 favorite (bet $450 to win $100), while Stanionis is the +320 underdog (win $320 on a $100 wager). Interestingly, the late money has come in on Stanionis (he was +375 earlier this week, while Ennis was -550). Ennis winning by decision and winning by stoppage are in positive territory, so there’s decent value there, but I might take the fight to go the distance at -150.

There’s not much high-level boxing happening this week, but if you were looking for a fun parlay for this weekend’s action of boxing (and this is only for entertainment purposes), I might take Ennis to beat Stanionis at -450 and Ray Ford to beat Thomas Mattice by decision at -225. If both of those hit, you’d make a $76 profit on a $100 bet (keep in mind, we won our hypothetical parlay last weekend, where you would have made $163 on a $100 wager).

Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis records

Despite all of his accolades, Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) still hasn’t faced an A-list fighter who’s in his prime. Yes, Ennis has victories vs. solid veterans like Sergey Lipinets, Thomas Dulorme and David Avenesyan, but it’s clear that Stanionis will be his toughest opponent yet. Is Ennis ready for him?

Though Stanionis is 15-0 (9 KOs) and isn’t as much of an underdog as I would have expected, he’s been inactive (he’s only fought once in the past 24 months) and hasn’t fought a top-notch opponent. He’s got wins vs. Dulorme and Luis Collazo, but he’s coming off a victory vs. a fighter who only had seven professional fights.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis prediction

Stanionis is going to be tough for Ennis, and this might be a closer fight than many people expect through the first half. Eventually, Ennis’ talent will outshine Stanionis’ toughness, and he’ll survive some rocky moments to win by decision, somewhere in the 116-112 neighborhood.